Poetry: Looking for The Gulf Motel by Richard Blanco

I finally read Richard Blanco's collection of poems, Looking for The Gulf Motel. Simply said, I connected with Blanco's poetry, his search for cultural identity and love of family. These are the notes I wrote right after reading the book: Blanco uses a narrative style in this emotional biographical piece that touched and in some ways soothed me. I recognized and connected with many of his personal conflicts as the child of a loving, if tough and judgmental, immigrant Cuban family. I laughed in some places, but strongly felt his emotional anguish and nostalgia in others. This is a book I will definitely re-read.

However, although in the first section of the book Blanco explores his childhood, family relationships, and Cuban cultural ties, the second section is dedicated to struggles with family, sexual identity, and the gay lifestyle, while the last section turns introspective and is dedicated to loss, particularly the loss of those family members who are irreplaceable not only because they are deeply loved, but also because they maintain necessary cultural ties alive and kicking.

As the introductory poem to the first section of the book where Blanco features poems about his childhood, "Looking for The Gulf Motel" is particularly memorable. In this poem, Blanco searches for a place where with his parents and brother, he once spent a happy, almost idyllic vacation by the sea. He finds that although happy memories remain, everything changes with time and loss. "[. . .] I want to find The Gulf Motel exactly as it was / and pretend for a moment, nothing lost is lost."

In that first section where Blanco explores and searches for cultural identity, his poem "The Name I Wanted:" is a classic example of cultural ambivalence, and "Betting on America" brought back personal childhood memories, the last line of the poem in particular "¿Donde está Ohio?" is just classic! However, it is in "Cousin Consuelo, On Piano" that Blanco truly captures the sense of displacement felt by a first generation of children born to immigrants.

Cousin Consuelo, On Piano

[. . .]¡Guantanamera! . . .
I had to listen to my grandmother
caterwaul, dabbing the corners of her eyes,
her voice cracking over a country I didn't
know yet that had to love like Tía Miri did,
singing about el campo I never saw yet had
to feel Consuelo's notes rising into
mountains, resting in valleys, the click of her
nail-tips on the keys like rain falling in the
room, on my father. [. . .] I had to sing with
him like a real Cuban, had to feel displaced,
broken, beautiful -- and clap for more, had to
make Consuelo play Guantanamera twice,
three times, [. . .]

In the second section with such poems as "Playing House with Pepín," "Afternoons with Endora," and "Queer Theory: According to My Grandmother," displacement is intensified by a sense of not belonging as Blanco explores struggles with sexual identity and family views. In "Love as if Love," Blanco goes further with his poem about Elizabeth. ". . . / loving as if I could lover her." But of all these, I love "Thicker Than Country" best, a poem depicting Blanco's life with and love for partner Mark after they move to Maine. The last section of the book dealing with painful loss and remembrance is specially touching and contains some of my favorite poems, ending with the gorgeous"Since Unfinished." Following is an excerpt from one of those poems:

Some Days the Sea

[. . .]
I'm still a boy on this beach, wanting
to catch a seagull, cup a tiny silver fish,
build a perfect sand castle. Some days I am
a teenager blind to death even as I watch
waves seep into nothingness. Most days
I'm a man tired of being a man, sleeping
in the care of dusk's slanted light, or a man
scared of being a man, seeing some god
in the moonlight streaming over the sea.
Some days I imagine myself walking
this shore with feet as worn as driftwood,
old and afraid of my body. Someday,
I suppose I'll return someplace like waves
trickling through the sand, back to sea
without any memory of being, but if
I could choose eternity, it would be here:
aging with the moon, enduring in the space
between every grain of sand, in the cusp
of every wave and every seashell's hollow.

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

About the Author: Richard Blanco was selected as the 2013 inaugural poet for President Barack Obama. He is the author of two other poetry collections: Directions to The Beach of the Dead, winner of the PEN/Beyond Margins Award; and City of a Hundred Fires, winner of the Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize. Exploring themes of Latino identity and place, Blanco's poems have appeared in Best American Poetry 2000 and Best American Prose Poems and have been featured on NPR. He is a fellow of the Bread Loaf Writers Conference, recipient of two Florida Artist Fellowships, and has taught at Georgetown and American universities. A builder of cities and poems, Blanco is also a professional civil engineer.

Category: Poetry
Series: Pitt Poetry Series
Publisher/Release Date: University of Pittsburgh Press; February 28, 2012

Read interview with Richard Blanco at La Bloga. Visit Richard Blanco here.

All poems © 2012, Richard Blanco 

Cover Highlight: Clarkesworld's "Desert Dragon"

I don't post too many cover highlights, but I had to share this one. The title of this fantastic cover for Issue 80 of the SF Clarkesworld Magazine is Desert Dragon. And what a magnificent dragon it is! When this issue of the magazine arrived on my Kindle yesterday and I first saw this cover, my imagination whisked me away to a fantasy realm.

The artist is Julie Dillon, a freelance illustrator working in Northern California. She creates science fiction and fantasy artwork for books, magazines and games. Julie is a 2013 Hugo Award Nominee for Best Artist.

Check out complete Clarkesworld Magazine Science Fiction and Fantasy Cover Gallery here.

Enjoy the beauty!

April 2013 Recap: Books Read

Wow! April was a long month... wasn't it? So much happened that it feels as if the month lasted forever! I began the month going through a 'reading funk,' but somewhere along the line the gods took pity on me and I was able to concentrate on reading again. Of course finding books that caught and held my attention from beginning to end helped too!

Here are the books I ended up reading in April:

Total Books Read: 15
 Contemporary: 5
 Historical Romance: 3
 Science Fiction: 1
 Poetry: 2
 LGBT: 4

Death by Silver by Melissa Scott & Amy Griswold: A
Looking for The Gulf Motel by Richard Blanco: B+
Tales from the Sexual Underground by Rick R. Reed: B+
Here Comes the Bride by Pamela Morsi: B
My Dear Watson by L.A. Fields: B
Senegal Taxi by Juan Felipe Herrera: B
"The Fountain" Asimov SF Magazine G. David Nordley: B
Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts: C
Against the Odds (Novella) by Lisa Kleypas: C
A Family Affair by Mary Campisi: C-
Higgins, Kristan - The Best Man by Kristan Higgins: D+

Upcoming Reviews:
The Favor by Megan Hart
Changing Lanes by Kathleen Long
When Love Comes to Town by Tom Lennon

Re-read
Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas (Re-read): A-

My favorite book in April was Death by Silver by Melissa Scott & Amy Griswold. I read the book and loved it so much that I wrote my review immediately and had to post it early. I don't usually do that! The other book that really touched me was the small poetry volume by Richard Blanco, Looking for The Gulf Motel. I know that many readers don't go for poetry, but I can't see too many not enjoying Blanco's narrative, biographical style. 

Tales from the Sexual Underground by Rick R. Reed was a particularly memorable book. I read it while commuting back and forth from work and some stories were a hoot! "Sick Day" anyone? Reed combines non-fiction essays with some of his fiction stories. Both essays and fictional pieces explore extreme sexual subjects which Reed manages to imbue with raw humanity, dark humor, and straight forward candor. Excellent full-length review at Indie Reviews!

Of my C & D reads the most memorable are Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts because Roberts is a favorite writer whose latest release turned out to be an average read for me, and The Best Man by Kristan Higgins because, don't we always remember books that end up as major fails? I do.

That is it for my April recap. I look forward to May and more great reads!

Reading: Hearts of Shadow (Deadglass #2) by Kira Brady

Grace Mercer’s unmatched wraith-killing ability made her the unofficial defender of a city shattered by supernatural catastrophe. So there’s no way she’ll allow the new regent of Seattle’s most powerful dragon shifter clan to “protect” her from a vicious evil stalking the ruined streets—and keep her from the freedom she’s risked everything to earn.

Leif’s science-honed instincts tell him Grace is the key to keeping shifters and humans safe. But helping this wary fighter channel her untapped power is burning away the dragon’s sensual self-control and putting a crucial alliance at risk. Soon the only chance Leif and Grace will have to save their world will be a dangerously fragile link that could forever unite their souls…or consume all in a storm of destruction.

I enjoyed the first book of this series last year, Hearts of Darkness: A Deadglass Novel, and was looking forward to reading this second installment. I'm enjoying it so far, here's a short peek at the beginning of the second chapter:

Excerpt:

Grace wiped volcanic ash off the thighbone with her sleeve and raised her hammer again. "Shine that closer, would you?"

Elsie obliged, moving the lantern so that it illuminated the cool ivory bone and Grace's silver needles. The little bells around her wrist jingled with the motion, warning off spirits. Above them, the sky was black with fifteen thousand crows returning to the roost on Queen Anne.

Grace concentrated on carving the rune --- Eihwaz for protection, Thurisaz for defense --- and not on the debacle of that morning. Her outburst in the council chamber in front of her new owner. he had forced her to speak. Even Norgard --- the bastard --- hadn't shamed her so publicly. She'd tried to stab Asgard. Antagonized him. Called him a liar. Was she trying to get herself killed? She was usually so much smarter than that, but the Regent had thrown her off. It wasn't his looks; they were just as unbearably handsome as all Drekar. Maybe it was his ridiculous manner, like she'd insulted his honor. Ha. Drekar didn't have honor.

Upcoming Release Date: May 7, 2013

Hilcia's Weekly Reads + News

It's Sunday and a beautiful day! Hope you are having a good day too! My schedule is a bit more relaxed and not only did I read this past week, but I had the chance to visit a few of my favorite sites  and found a few interesting bits to share.

Weekly Reading:

My week began with A Family Affair by Mary Campisi. I thought this book might be a romance, but it turned out to be more contemporary fiction with a romance that develops in the middle of the whole angst-ridden storyline about a dysfunctional family. When Chrissy's father dies, she finds out that for fourteen years he had a second, secret family. Devastated, she keeps the information from her mother and goes to confront his father's long-time mistress only to find more than she expected. Campisi uses the dual narrative style, alternating between Chrissie and her Uncle Harry. There's a problem with finding sympathetic or unselfish characters in this story, and the romance felt as if it was tagged on quickly after much hostility between the couple. I would say there's much promise in the premise and some good elements to the story, but the execution doesn't live up that promise. Grade C-

Next I decided to check out Megan Hart's upcoming release, The Favor.

This book is due to release on June 25th, but once I had it in my hot little hands I read it immediately! Why? Well, it's Megan Hart and once begun, I couldn't put the book down but will post my review closer to the release date. I can give this much information to fans of this author as clarification -- so the book can be read with the correct expectations and won't end up disappointing. The Favor falls under the contemporary fiction or literary fiction category, this book is NOT an erotic or a traditional romance. Reading a book with the right mind-set always helps me.

I followed up by picking up the digital edition of When Love Comes to Town by Tom Lennon.This is a "vintage" young adult LGBT book set in Ireland in the 1990's. This coming-out story was initially released 20 years ago.  In many respects it is dated, but sadly, I found that it is also still very relevant. I read this story with both time and place in mind, which was not easy to do. Additionally, despite the title of the book which makes it seem as if it is a romance, I would say that this story falls more under the gay fiction with romantic elements category. I enjoyed it and will review it soon.

I also read Changing Lanes by Kathleen Long. Which did not signify that I really changed lanes in my choice of reading material at all since this book is also contemporary or women's fiction. There is a romantic thread that runs through the storyline but it is not the focus of the story. I love that Changing Lanes is set in a very recognizable New Jersey, but I'll tell you all about that in my review. This book releases May 14th.

But of course I didn't just read fiction the whole week! I also read poetry.

Throughout the week I picked up and slowly read Senegal Taxi by Juan Felipe Herrera, a small volume of poetry that is both political and raw in content. Herrera uses the voices of three children to focus his poetry on the suffering and horrors of war in Darfur. Reading Senegal Taxi was a heart-wrenching experience that has not loosened its grip on me yet. Juan Felipe Herrera was appointed California's 2012 Poet Laureate. Upcoming highlights.


Looking for The Gulf Motel by Richard Blanco is the other poetry volume I chose to read last week. Blanco's uses a narrative style in this emotional biographical piece that touched and in some ways soothed me. I recognized and connected with many of his personal conflicts as the child of a loving, if tough and judgmental, immigrant Cuban family. I laughed in some places, but strongly felt his emotional anguish and nostalgia in others. This is a book I will definitely re-read. Richard Blanco just won The Ferro-Grumley Award for LGBT Poetry. Upcoming highlights.

And, I concluded my week by reading the novelette “The Fountain” by G. David Nordley from Asimov's SF Magazine. My first encounter with Nordley's work turned out to be solid. I enjoyed the science fiction details in this piece, but most of all I really like the way Nordley portrays an alien race that is so different from humans, yet end up teaching humans a lesson or two about compassion. I was absorbed by this piece all the way to the end. Read Carl's detailed review at SF Signal here. Grade: B
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News:

Replacing Google Reader: I am experimenting with Feedly vs. The Old Reader to see which one works for me. So far, I'm loving Feedly's format. It was a snap to transfer information across devices, and I found that it updates RSS signals quicker than The Old Reader.

Editorial Post: If you haven't check it out yet, don't miss Wendy's post "Libraries, What Are They Good For?" at The Misadventures of Super Librarian. In her excellent post, Wendy tackles controversial reactions to digital lending by authors who see libraries as "The Problem."

SFF: The 2013 Aurora Award nominees have been announced by the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association. The awards will be presented at Can-Con (www.can-con.org) in Ottawa, Oct 4 – 6, 2013. Check out the list here.  From the novels nominated on that list the only book I have in my TBR is The Silvered by Tanya Huff!

LGBT: Congratulations to Trebor Healey for winning the 2013 James Duggins Outstanding Mid-Career Novelist Prize and The Ferro-Grumley Award for LGBT Fiction

 for A Horse Named Sorrow (University of Wisconsin Press)

. I've dubbed this "Trebor Healey Week."

Looking forward to another great reading week!

Review: Death by Silver by Melissa Scott & Amy Griswold

Death by Silver by Melissa Scott & Amy Griswold is a fantasy mystery with an unquestionable steampunk flavor that does not overwhelm the world-building, yet offers enough magic and subtle details to give this story set in a recognizable Victorian London, a very distinct atmosphere. There is quite a lot to enjoy in this well executed fantasy mystery with its delicious twists and turns, red herrings, murders by magic, personal struggles and a question of the heart.

The story begins when metaphysician Ned Mathey's newly established practice is hired by well-known banker Mr. Edgar Nevett to cleanse his family silver of ancient or modern curses. Ned hesitates as soon as he realizes that Mr. Nevett is Victor Nevett's father, the prefect who bullied him and others throughout his years in boarding school. Nevertheless, Ned accepts the commission and finds that the silver is clean of enchantment.

Unfortunately a few days later, Mr. Edgar Nevett is found in his study murdered by an enchanted silver candlestick. Soon thereafter, Victor Nevett himself offers to hire Ned to solve the murder. Ned accepts reluctantly, after all business is business and his name and reputation as a metaphysician must be cleared. With the aid of his assistant Ms. Frost, Ned and closest school friend and sometimes lover Private Detective Julian Lynes rush to solve a murder, a burglary, and the mystery of the enchanted silver candlestick. Ned and Julian face danger, old and new foes, struggle to come to terms with painful past experiences and with feelings they may or may not have for each other.

The absorbing mystery drives the plot in Death by Silver as Scott and Griswold keep clues and details coming at a fast pace with well-executed red herrings, twists and turns. The mystery is well integrated with the world-building and the relationship struggle taking place between the characters. Most importantly, none of the characters in Death by Silver, including the villain(s), fall into the black and white category. Instead, they all display strengths and human frailty. Scott and Griswold effectively explore gray areas and the humanity of their characters through Ned and Julian's perspectives.

The fantasy details are organically incorporated into the world-building throughout the story and make sense from the beginning. For example, details such as a recognizable London as the setting with true to time Victorian morals, behavior, and lifestyle, are subtly blended in with magic, enchantments, automata-building salesmen, alternate institutions, laws, some rather interesting flora, and religious beliefs.

However, the hearts of this story are our main characters and narrators Ned and Julian. The story is narrated from their alternating first point of view perspectives. As a result, Scott and Griswold give the reader an in-depth look into both characters that include personal history, intimate thoughts, fears, and feelings. They also give an excellent view of secondary characters and different perspectives of the unfolding plot. The shifts in point of view flow well as do the intermittent flashbacks employed to show the characters' pertinent past experiences with bullies at boarding school.

The extent of the bullying episodes is revealed slowly and blends in with the mystery, as Julian and Ned confront personal fears and consequences of those boarding school days while working closely with the man who bullied them. Also slowly integrated are our main characters' depth of feelings and insecurities as they circle each other and wonder where their relationship stands. This is not the main focus of the story, still, I love Ned and Julian's "friends and lovers to romance-in-the-making" conflict.

I loved everything about Death by Silver -- the world-building and excellent atmosphere, the characters and their personal struggles, the twisty well-paced plot and the delicious romantic relationship-building elements, all the way to the great ending. I just hope that Scott and Griswold are planning a series because these characters and world are begging for one! Highly enjoyed and recommended.

Category: Fantasy/Mystery - LGBT
Publisher: Lethe Press (ARC for review)
Upcoming Release Date: May 25, 2013
Grade: A

Visit Melissa Scott at Goodreads, and Amy Griswold at her LJ page or Goodreads.

Review: Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts

It's time for my review of Nora Roberts' yearly contemporary romance suspense release. This year it is Whiskey Beach, a novel set on the coast of Massachusetts near Boston. It has been a year since Eli Landon was accused of brutally murdering his wife Lindsay. While not enough proof was found to arrest him, Eli still lost his career as a successful defense attorney and most of his so-called friends due to a painful year of close scrutiny in the public media. His spirit and will to fight are severely worn down by both the media and the cop who investigated the murder and still hounds him, determined to pin the murder on Eli one way or another.

Eli moves to the Landon family home, Bluff House, in Whiskey Beach after his grandmother Hester suffers an almost fatal accident. There he meets Abra Walsh, his grandmother's housekeeper and the woman who saved her life. Hester entrusted Abra with Eli's welfare but Eli's beaten and hostile demeanor only serves to bring out the nurturing side of this woman who also understands what it is to be hounded and hurt by others. Eli begins to heal, and a romantic relationship with Abra blooms, but their time together is plagued by accidents, assaults, a burglary, and another murder and soon the cops are knocking at Eli's door again. Will he be able to survive another round with the police? Are the murders and incidents related to Lindsay's murder? If Eli didn't kill Lindsay, who did?

Last year I loved Nora Roberts' romantic suspense release, The Witness. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for Whiskey Beach because although there is romance and suspense ala Nora, neither turned out to be exceptional nor above average. Diving into this romance felt like wearing a comfortable pair of old socks, the feelings of warmth and comfort are there, but it is sorely lacking in passion and sexual tension. After they first meet, Eli is hostile and wants some space, but Abra pushes him to get him out of the depression that has been weighing him down -- and I mean she is relentless with the pushing, nurturing and manipulation. The result is that although these two people barely know each other, they quickly begin to act and speak to each other like an old married couple.

Abra - cadabra

Obviously, I wasn't crazy about Abra. In my notes I wrote: I think Abra drank a couple of cases of wine by the time this book ended. I hope she was drinking good stuff! Not that I blame her, I mean the poor woman needed a bit of R&R after her daily schedule because what didn't or couldn't Abra do? She's a personal massage therapist, a yoga instructor, a jewelry maker, a waitress, a housekeeper, the perfect cook, a volunteer and holds jobs doing all of the above. (And I know there are other skills and jobs I missed) So realistically, when does Abra have time to do all that, and still find time to: take care of Eli, sleep, eat, shower, have energetic sex, play with the dog, and drink all that wine (without getting daily hangovers) too? As unbelievable as all that sounds, you have to admire the creation of a woman like Abra, yes? However, once Roberts makes Abra part of solving the mystery and catching the villain, she definitely falls into the perfectly perfect woman category. Unbelivable.

On the other hand, I enjoyed Roberts' portrayal of Eli as a man coming out of a long bout of depression but still consumed by guilt. He allows Abra to manipulate him into eating, exercising and even getting a dog and beginning a relationship with her, all because he has no strength left to fight. But the slow healing process and recovery are well-rendered by Roberts. I loved his relationship with his grandmother Hester and the rest of his family. I adored his interactions with his dog, Bambi! And, the blooming of a new Eli, not the defense lawyer, but a caring man who learns how to live again.

Roberts weaves in the suspense with the romance well. There are no awkward separations of the two at any point during the novel and the suspense plot is technically well crafted, although I would say that it lacks edge and is rather predictable. At least it was to me since I figured it out how it would turn out early on even as specific details eluded me. Of course, Roberts is all about the details and that is as obvious in Whiskey Beach as it is in her other novels. She effectively blends in local history along with research about bootlegging, pirates, and fictional murder without resorting to long sections of info dumping.

Whiskey Beach did not wow me, but it did not overly disappoint me either. Despite my problem with the often annoying, over-the-top perfect female protagonist, the way too comfortable romance, and the technically well-crafted but predictable suspense, overall this romance suspense turned out to be a pleasant, if average read.

Category: Contemporary Romance Suspense
Series: None
Publisher/Release Date: Putnam (Adult)/April 16, 2013 - Kindle Ed.
Grade: C

Other Nora Roberts Romance Suspense Reviews:
 The Witness
The Search
Black Hills
High Noon

This 'n That: Reading, Television, News

Happy Sunday! This has been a good week and I'm enjoying a relaxing weekend. How about you? The good news, of course, is that I've been hitting the books again. Yay! And better yet, I had the time to post three reviews this last week. Hopefully, I'll return to my regular blogging schedule. Whatever that is!

READING:
I used an old 'remedy' to cure my reading blues, I re-read an old favorite Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas, to help me get back on the romance reading wagon. I think I savored this romance more during this time around than any other time. I really took my time savoring all the characters, scenes, and details. I love Sara, Derek and the romance, but this time I also thoroughly enjoyed the secondary characters and really appreciated their contribution to this romance's success. Of course I ended up sighing over Derek Craven, but then that was the idea behind this re-read.

But reading this book reminded me that I had the Where's My Hero? anthology in my TBR with a related story that I had yet to read. From this anthology, I only read "Against the Odds" by Lisa Kleypas. The novella covers the romance between Lydia Craven (Sara and Derek Craven's eldest daughter) and Dr Jake Linley. Linley is a character from Kleypas' Someone to Watch Over Me.

This is a sweet, short romance that I enjoyed because it serves as a sort of epilogue to Dreaming of You, and I suspect that's exactly what I was looking for. Although Kleypas manages to insert one of her signature hot scenes between Jake and Lydia, the romance itself needed more page time in order to become more than average. Regardless, it was a pleasant read.

What else have I read? Nora Roberts' latest romance suspense, Whiskey Beach and Death by Silver, a marvelous upcoming fantasy/mystery release by Melissa Scott and Amy Griswold. I will be posting my reviews soon! Additionally, I've been enjoying novellas, novelletes and some excellent articles from two of my favorite Science Fiction magazines, Asimov's Science Fiction and Clarksworld. Maybe I'll write a post about a few of my favorite pieces if I have the time!

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TELEVISION:
What else have I been up to? I didn't have the time to watch this program on Monday night when it first aired, but my husband ordered it and we watched it on Friday evening. It's the two-hour pilot movie of Defiance, the SyFy channel's latest television sci-fi program. These are my initial impressions:

SUMMARY: It is 2046. Seven alien races arrived years before and after a war between humans and aliens, Earth has been transformed. In the town of Defiance, old St. Louis, all races are building a new way of life among what is left of old Earth.

MAIN CHARACTERS: Jack Nolan and his Irathient adopted daughter, Irisa.

LOVED:
- The overall combination of the recognizable with a well-defined Science Fiction atmosphere, world and world-building.
- The in-depth introduction of key characters in the pilot.
- An alternate St. Louis as a setting is a refreshing alternative to NY, LA, and/or Chicago.
- Irisa's character.
- The scene where Jack Nolan and Irisa belt out country music! What? No slamming rock?

NOT IMPRESSED WITH: A certain predictability to the plot line and a few character roles.

PROMISING: The overall storyarc and world-building.

CONCLUSION: I love that the SyFy channel is actually (again) releasing an original Science Fiction program with aliens, CGI, and alien technology. The pilot did not blow me away, but it was good enough that I will be watching it.

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NEWS: For lovers of "vintage reads."

I received an email from Open Road Media asking me to share their news and I thought some of you might be interested. So here it is:

At Open Road Media, we think a great love story never goes out of style. It’s one of the reasons we are so excited to bring you some of the best titles in romance as ebooks for the first time. And whether you call them “vintage,” “old school,” or even “classic,” these retro romances have stood the test of time.

To spread the word about these great ebooks, we founded Retro Reads, a reader program specializing in digitally reissued romance novels. We are looking for a group of readers interested in exploring the full range of romance—readers who love the genre, who love talking about the genre, and who want to keep up with the latest digital releases.

In short, we are looking for a few good romance readers. Interested? Click here for more details!

That is it for this Sunday. I hope your weekend was as enjoyable as mine. :)

Review: My Dear Watson by L.A. Fields

My Dear Watson by L.A. Fields
Cover Art: Ben Baldwin

I treasure my volumes of Sherlock Holmes mysteries by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, don't you? Needless to say, I was thrilled when I received a copy of My Dear Watson by L.A. Fields for review. This story, however, is not focused on details about the mysteries. Instead, my dear friends, Fields queers the relationship between Holmes and Watson as it evolved throughout the years they worked together as detecting partners.

Fields approaches the queering of these favorite characters from a different and creative angle by utilizing the second Mrs. Watson as narrator. Mrs. Watson's somewhat acerbic narrative voice rivals that of Holmes himself, as do her well-honed powers of observation and deduction -- particularly when it comes to the relationship that existed and still exists between her dear, sweet Dr. Watson and the odious Mr. Holmes. It is most telling that as she begins her narrative, Mrs. Watson casually mentions her acceptance of her husband's flexible sexuality and relationship with the well-known detective, yet when referring to Sherlock Holmes in her journal, she uses the three dreaded capital H's: He, Him and Holmes. What does that tell you?

I can smell a hint of salt from here, so my dear Watson must be overwhelmed with the scent, since he has his face buried in Holmes's shoulder.

They are embracing each other tightly, blissfully, as if they've been a lifetime away from one another. I don't believe I am jealous --- I'm a modern woman, and I knew of my husband's flexible nature before I married him --- but I am rather destabilized by this scene. They just look so desperately happy to be holding one another. It's touching, but it touches one awfully hard.

You see, although Mrs. Watson doesn't openly oppose Watson's relationship with Holmes and says she understands her husband's obsession with the great detective, she believes in her heart that this only came to pass because of Holmes' manipulative nature. Mrs. Watson narrates Holmes' courtship and seduction of an initially unaware, naive Watson who then becomes enthralled and devoted to Him throughout the years. The relationship between the two men fluctuates between happy and deep dark times until their time together at 221B Baker Street ends. The first separation takes place when deeply hurt and disappointed in Holmes, Watson marries his first wife Mary only to be seduced away from her within a short period of time. Mrs. Watson shows sympathy for Mary but understands her sweet Watson, after all "He is rather infectious, Sherlock Holmes. A dark and glamorous thing. "

The story is divided into sections. In the present time Mrs. Watson and her household receive Holmes during his first visit to Watson's home. In other more abundant sections, Fields employs a rather interesting flashback format by having Mrs. Watson narrate the complete history of the men's relationship as it unfolds while they solve mysteries, until the timelines merge in the present. This presentation works rather splendidly as Fields concentrates mainly on the history of the relationship with spare entries dedicated to the present.

And speaking of spare, each chapter/mystery case revealing the building intimate relationship between Holmes and Watson is also short in length. Usually short chapters make for a quick read, however that was not the case in this instance. The relationship as it unfolds between Holmes and Watson and Fields' approach to this story is quite creative. However, while Mrs. Watson's narrative gives the reader an immediate sense of her perceptions and inner emotions, there are sections where it simultaneously creates a certain distance between the reader and the other main characters -- a disconnect -- that slows down the pace.

Fields' characterization of Holmes is notable in that it reveals the man behind the legend by overtly magnifying his weaknesses while subtly depicting strengths. Watson's characterization is not as well defined as that of Holmes, but the portrayal is just as subtle. Fields portrays Watson as an extremely sympathetic character, but look under the surface and you'll find that this depiction is deceiving. On the other hand, our narrator Mrs. Watson becomes as fascinating a character as Mr. Holmes. A contradiction, she's a woman to be reckoned with -- astute and intuitive, possessive and giving, protective, strong and vulnerable -- and I do believe that in the end Mrs. Watson has the last word!

To summarize, I enjoyed My Dear Watson, particularly L.A. Fields' subtle execution and creative approach to building of a complex queer romantic relationship riddled with conflict, jealousy, resentment, love, tenderness, and understanding -- one that involves two of my favorite fictional characters of all time. A solid read.

Category: LGBT/Queer Historical Fiction
Series: None
Publisher/Release Date: Lethe Press/April 4, 2013
Source: ARC Lethe Press
Grade: B